We often rightly tout the vast array of arts and outdoor offerings in our area, but it seems that we, at times, forget about our community’s abundant access to higher education institutions. In this case, I am not talking about football, basketball or volleyball - though we certainly have those! In this instance, I am referring to the lectures and presentations we have access to. I hope to highlight just a few in this week’s post.

Even as the news of the day is currently packed with examples seemingly of our inability to move beyond racism, we celebrate Black History Month. I am using this blog to highlight both the contributions African Americans have made and some local actions that help celebrate those accomplishments and heal the wounds of local racism.

One hundred thousand – 100,033 to be exact – is the most recent estimate for the City of Roanoke’s population provided by the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia. What does that number tell us? That’s what this post is all about.